Bankouale Palm Tree

The Bankoualé Palm Livistona carinensis is a relict near endemic palm species classed as Vulnerable, only known to occur with tiny populations in Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen.

The Djibouti population is fewer than 400 adults in 12 sub-populations in its main distribution ranges at Goda Mountain. The adults are over mature, and juveniles and seedlings are only found in areas protected from grazing in areas where animals cannot eat them.

However, due to its restricted distribution in the country and the region, the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future and based on the recent data collected on the palm.

It may be more appropriate to move the species status from the IUCN category of Vulnerable to Endangered.

Mabla Moutains

Mabla is the second largest area of relict montane forest and it was described as contiguous areas to Forêt du Day with junipers forest in Djibouti but today there are no longer alive juniper trees in the area and the dominant tree species are Acacia seyal, Buxus hildebrandtii with locally abundant Acacia etbaica and common Acacia mellifera.

The area is confirmed currently with the Goda massif “Forêt du Day” to support a viable population of the Critically Endangered Djibouti Francolin (Welch et al. 2009).

Lake Abhé

The Lake Abhe is a salt lake situated in the embouchure of the Awash River forming a chain of six interconnected lakes positioned in the centre of the Afar Depression including Afambo, Bario, Gargori, Gummare and Laitali. Lake Abhé constitutes the largest permanent inland wetland ecosystem in Djibouti and is well-known for its landscapes with a plethora of thermal springs, only found the Djibouti side of the lake formed by “bizarre” chimneys lined up as human made structures “towering mineral deposits dating from the period when the was deeply flooded” which confer to this site an unconventional beauty rewarded to make more popular by the fiction movies “Planet of Apes” filmed entirely inside.

Furthermore, the lake is more renowned for its thousand and thousand of greater and lesser flamingos that flock to the site year around with at least 50 migrant species of water birds, White pelican and possibly cormorant may breed on the Ethiopian side. The site is relevant also other threatened wildlife such as spotted hyenas, Somali and Eritrean warthogs and Dorcas gazelles. It highly contributes the livelihoods of the nomadic Afar people who reside all surrounding arid areas in and over the border.

Seven Brothers Islands

The Sept–Frères, is a group of six offshore volcanic islands next to the North-east coastal plain in the Bab el Mandeb straits, largely empty of vegetation, which together Ras Siyyan, forms the Sept Frères.

The islands support important breeding Seabird species such as white-eyed and sooty gulls, swift and lesser crested, white-checked, bridled terns and red-billed tropicbird. Osprey and sooty falcon also breed in the islands.

In addition and in certain weather conditions (wind directions), the islands play an important role in assisting migrating raptors complete their crossing of the Bab el Mandeb straits.

Musha / Maskali Islands

Îles Musha / Maskali is Two ancient coral reef islands and several satellites islets, located at around 15 km in the North of Djibouti city in the Gulf of Tadjoura. The larger Island, Musha, supports an extensive stands of mangroves and sueada sp.

The islands and particularly its satellite islets is known as one of the breeding areas which used by red-billed tropicbird, white-eyed gull, bridled tern, Eurasian spoon bill, osprey, Goliath, striated and western reef herons, chestnut –bellied sandgrouse and possibly some mangrove warblers i.e. clamorous reed warbler.

The site is colonized by Indian House Crow and its presence has significant negative impacts on the breeding success of all species (Houssein Rayaleh, pers.com).

Haramous / Loyada

Haramous/Loyada consists of two main wet habitats but for simplicity is designated as one site and part of it, was declared as the first and only Ramsar site of the country when Djibouti ratified Wetlands Convention in 2003. The site supports large inter-tidal mudflats with mangroves patches in several areas. The eastern coastal terrestrial part of the site is formed low sandy plain intersected by well vegetated wadis and covered with sparse acacia and shrubs.

The area supports large populations of passage and wintering shorebirds some of them are estimated as more than 1% of global population i.e. Crab Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Lesser and Greater Sandpipers as well as more than ten species of herons, Sacred ibis, Yellow-billed and Abdim’s Storks and Greater and Lesser Flamingos. In addition, individual of Arabian bustard and Arabian Golden Sparrow variable flocks, Greater or Lesser Hoopoe larks can be observed in the area (Houssein Rayaleh pers om).

Galafi / Hanlé Plain

The Hanlé plain has similar biotope which constitutes large alluvial depression with extensive low mix acacia scrub, shallow wadis, and vast sand mats scattered low hills bordered by steep-sided mountains. In several small places, the area support permanent freshwater that hold large stands of doum palm Hyphaene such as Hyphaene and patches of marsh.

Hanlé including Galafi, Daoudaoua and Gagadé plains hold ostrich breeding small population and the freshwater areas support small numbers of breeding water birds such as spur-winged plover, three banded plover, black crake and Egyptian goose. And the area is known the only Djibouti record of long-tailed cormorant, malachite kingfisher and white-browed coucal (Welch and Welch 1998).

Goda Moutains / Day Forest

The Association Djibouti Nature – Djibouti Nature  is an independent, membership-based and not-for-profit grassroots organization, legally established in Djibouti. Djibouti Nature was set up in 1999 and thus the most and oldest experienced civil society organization working on nature conservation in the country.

It has an important but short history of nature conservation mainly from birds’ species and natural habitats perspective. Besides, it has been working tirelessly with local communities, private sectors and government bodies for many years to raise awareness for both Djibouti’s extraordinary wildlife and precious habitats protection for the benefit of present and future generations.

Djibouti Nature is registered under the provisions of Act of July 1st, 1901, relating to the contract of association in Djibouti and certificate has been delivered (certificate number 63/DAGR/18/03/2001) by the Ministry of Interior and Decentralisation. The other pages of our site will give you more details.

Last but not least, our website is having one more major upgrade. To allow access to our site to a wider audience, we have provided multilingual functions.

Unfortunately, because of our limited human and financial resources, we started with the following languages: English, French and Somali. In most cases, we translated the content using Google Translate. It usually gives a pretty clear idea. However, this is not enough. So we are working to do better.

Therefore, to translate our content into other national languages (Afar and Arabic) or to improve existing translations, we are looking for volunteers! If you want to contribute in anyway, please contact us.

Ali-Sabieh / Assamo

Ali-Sabieh/Assamo is located in the south-eastern and distanced from Djibouti city, the capital of the country about 120 kilometres. It is an area bordering with Ethiopia and Somalia and constitutes low hills and medium altitudes mountains intersected by wadis “dry rivers” and with large zones of sparse acacia, mixed shrubs and some small gardens developed in the broader wadis where ground water accessibility is easy.

By its geographical location in the border with Ethiopia and Somalia, diversity of bird species of this site shows a mix of species which differs from other IBAs b in Djibouti. The wadis with acacia shrubs support northern crombec, Arabian warbler, black bush robin, grey-headed batis, yellow-breasted and black throated barbets, yellow-necked spurfowl, and rosy-patched shrike.

Wadis with Tamarix patches support nightjar species (possibly European and Nubian nightjars). The gardens host large numbers of Somali bulbul and Rüppell’s weaver, Blue napped mousebird, individual grey headed kingfisher, red-billed oxpecker, crimson-rumped waxbill, green-winged Pytilia, shining and variable sunbirds, and wattled starling. Ali-Sabieh/Assamo is the only area in Djibouti where the Abyssinian scimitarbill, eastern violet backed sunbird and pale chanting goshawk have been observed.

Additionally, the area hosts two globally threatened mammal species such as Endangered Leopard Panthera pardus pardus and Vulnerable Beira antelope Dorcatragus megalotis.

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